Cobalt Digital has selected Elevate Broadcast Pte Ltd as its master distributor for Southeast Asia, a move that allows Cobalt to expand its presence in the growing Southeast Asia market through a company with deep market penetration and knowledge of regional and local customers and technology.

Elevate Broadcast has been a Cobalt dealer in the region since 2016, handling Singapore and Myanmar previously.

The distributor agreement covers 10 Southeast Asian countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Elevate Broadcast and Cobalt Digital are evaluating other areas within Asia where the regional center could help provide a better overall experience for customers. Initially, distribution will be for the countries in ASEAN nations, but support or knowledge-sharing will be extended to other countries.

As distributor, Elevate Broadcast will appoint local dealers in designated markets while also providing first-line service and support functions. The company will serve as a central base within Asia that will ultimately aid Cobalt in providing servicing and support facilities for all its Asian customers, including those in China and Australia. Cobalt has achieved very good penetration in Singapore and associated regional markets, and because Singapore is a free trade hub for Southeast Asia, it made sense for Cobalt to locate its Southeast Asia distribution there. Appointing Elevate Broadcast as distributor is the first step in establishing a reseller network in Southeast Asia and better supporting existing and future customers.

“We have a long history with Elevate Broadcast CEO Dennis Breckenridge and his team, and his expertise as a design and systems engineer is much respected and sought-after in the Southeast Asia market,” said Robert C.A. Nicholas, vice president of international sales, Cobalt Digital. “Elevate has a wide breadth of experience with our full product line, and our customers can leverage that experience to achieve more with their own projects. Providing greater regional coverage will make it easier for Southeast Asian customers to confidently adopt and expand their use of Cobalt Digital technology.”

As technologies converge and video becomes ever-more prevalent, Cobalt products are not only being used in traditional broadcast centers but are extending into new market segments and applications. For example, besides its traditional broadcast infrastructure products, Cobalt is seeing great interest in its UHD, HDR, and IP solutions in online, telco, corporate communications, and other segments in Southeast Asia — a trend that is expected to continue.

With Elevate Broadcast in place as the distributor, Cobalt Digital customers in the region will benefit from a faster response more closely aligned with their own time zone. Additionally, service and support functions will be more immediate, and it will be possible to ship products overnight within Southeast Asia.

“Elevate Broadcast is constantly striving to achieve the best solution for the best price for its customers. In today’s market, especially with the advent of technologies like UHD and IP, customers and dealers alike rely on manufacturers and distributors with real experience and knowledge of the landscape,” said Breckenridge. “By becoming a Cobalt Digital distributor in addition to a reseller, we can invest more resources into learning about the products. In turn, we’ll be able to support, demo, and help implement projects for our customers and our dealers’ customers with great confidence.”